The Things That I Will Burn For You
by Mo.joo
Summary: ZukoxOC. Zuko is the God of Fire who is given a bride as a sacrifice. After three months he let's her return to her village, forgetting every memory she had of him. Unable to forget her, he finds her again and discovers the cruel betrayal of her people. on HIATUS
1. I Hate That You're Always On My Mind

**I Hate That You're Always On My Mind**

_I__t's okay if I forget._

A touch to his cheek

_Maybe we'll never see each other again._

The warmth of her hand. So soft, melting into his skin with a molten touch.

_But this may be the only way that you won't be hurt. Don't be hurt because of me. Don't suffer in pain because of me._

The smell of her—intoxicating—a drug to his weak, submissive addiction.

_I'm glad to have met you—to know you better than I already do. It makes me so happy to talk to you, laugh with you, smile with you. There would probably be nothing in the world that makes me happier. Even when I forget everything, I will never experience this same feeling._

Don't go. Stay here.

_It's fine with me if this place will disappear with my memories. If the things that I have seen make will be gone from my mind, it's okay. I will simply be forgotten, after all._

That won't be true. I'll remember you.

That smile of hers—so electrifying. But it tears his heart apart to see that it so sad.

_Then it will be fine. All I need is for you to remember me. That is good enough._

But it won't be enough.

_Good bye, Lord Zuko._

But I need you.

Those were the words that he should have said. Those resisting sentences might have forced his bride to stay here. There would be no questioning the demands of Fire God. He would burn anyone who did. Xiaozhi should have understood that especially, being his mortal bride and all.

"Very well," he had said, turning away from the young girl's touch. "If you wish to go back to your village then that will be fine with me."

And like the arrogant fool he was, Zuko let her go. It was only when he saw her drink the potion that would make her forget, he regretted everything.

The Fire Lord sat in his quarters, simply drawing out of boredom. But in that quiet task, he found himself in a burning rage. It took him great strength to resist the temptation to burn the brush he held, let it bring flames to the paper, the table, and then the whole room.

He drew a complicated drawing, purposely making it difficult. Zuko concentrated on every single detail. One mistake, and an angry beastly Fire Lord would break out of his carefully made cage. The ink-dipped brush glided across the delicate paper, giving birth to a pond of lotus. The picture formed and morphed, suddenly turning into the exact mirror image of the lotus pond that resided at the Far East end of his kingdom.

Zuko mutely heard footsteps enter his open doors. When a shadow engulfed him, he ignored that too, hoping in vain that the visitor would understand and walk away. But it was Advisor Iroh. The persistence of the visitor practically screamed out to Zuko, _Iroh is here._

"Why," the elderly advisor rumbled, "That is a very beautiful painting that you have created, Fire God Zuko. If I am not mistaken, it looks very much like the Lotus Spring east of the Fire Country."

"Yes," Zuko replied. "It is."

"I must say, you took very much care of the art. A beautiful painting indeed."

"Yes," _Go away._

"And might I add," Iroh continued, deliberately disregarding the Fire Lord's tone. "The girl in the picture resembles Lady Xiaozhi very much. Although, I cannot imagine her bathing in such a place."

"Wha-?" Zuko looked down at his brush, realizing that his head had been somewhere else at the moment. The advisor was right. Zuko thoughtlessly drew Xiaozhi in the picture, with her bare back only showing as her head turned for a dreamy, seductive look. _Bathing of all things._

With a frustrated cry, Zuko threw the table to the wall. Ink spewed across the wooden floors. The smell of burning wood rose to the air as his flaming hand thrust a slight stream of fire at the broken table. He abruptly stood. Zuko's breath became hot steam as smoke rose from his lips.

Iroh, who stood beside Zuko, sighed and waved a hand to extinguish the flames before they touched the wall. The other hand rested on the Fire Lord's shoulder.

"Is everything all right, my lord?"

"What a stupid question to ask," growled Zuko, glaring at Iroh's dazed face. "Of course I'm not alright! Not with everyone mentioning the girl at every day, every hour, _every second_! Everywhere! I hear her name. No matter where I go! What the _hell_ do I have to do to get some peace around here?!"

"May I ask _why _you are so upset with the mentioning of Lady Xiaozhi?"

"Because!" Zuko exclaimed, waiting for a string of reasons to come forward. "Because…"

But there were none.

"Could it be that you did not wish for her to go back to the human world?"

Zuko turned away. Now came the hard part: denying.

"Not at all. She had to go back to her village. I'm happy to get rid of her. Xiaozhi was only a distraction."

"You are lying, Lord Zuko." Iroh smiled.

"How would you know that?" Zuko snapped and he jerked away from the hand on his shoulder. Damn old coot, always thinking that he knew everything.

"Your voice," the advisor grinned, "You are in love with her."

"Ha!" the Fire God scoffed, "In love? With her? Ridiculous. She was only sacrificed as a bride to me. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm glad she's gone."

Iroh sighed, the smile disappearing and replaced with a disturbed frown. "There you go lying again. It's not good to deny your emotions. It would only create turmoil in your heart. You will not digest well, I tell you."

"Who are you to tell me that?" the heat in the room was suddenly rising. Becoming hot from his anger, his frustration, his regret. Zuko was ready to burn everything. It was the only thing that he looked forward to. Better than telling Iroh everything that was bothering him, like a crying tiger cub.

"You think that I have not noticed the changes?" an aged eyebrow rose. "Ever since Lady Xiaozhi entered your life, your heart has become lighter. The air in the Fire Country has become clearer and more breathable. The aura around you is not as threatening as it once was. You are not as short-tempered as you once were. You have learned restraint from Lady Xiaozhi."

Memories surfaced to the Fire God's mind.

"_What is __**wrong**__ with you?" the young girl's hair whipped around her body as she turned to glare at Zuko with opaque eyes._

"'_**Wrong with me'?**__ What's wrong with you?" the Fire God retorted. "How dare you disrespect me with such impudence!"_

"_I have seriously never met such a spoiled, unforgiving god such as you!" Xiaozhi screamed, her hair moved with an angry wind making her look like a witch with frightening power. "All that girl did was spill some tea on me. You didn't have to threaten her with your fire."_

"_My servants can never be that clumsy. What use will they be if they spill everything all over the place? I don't get it! Why are you so mad? I'm the only one who has the right to be angry! You didn't even show up for dinner. What makes you think you have the right to deny an invitation from the Fire God? Would you like me to starve you?"_

_The glaring opaque eyes suddenly grew wide. Zuko almost smirked in satisfaction. The surprise from her was surely a sign that he had won._

"_Spoiled…" an incoherent mumble stumbled from her lips. Suddenly she stomped towards him. Her hair flew behind her and glided at the same angry pace as she did. The human girl was suddenly just an inch away from his face. Her dark eyes were stormy. Zuko was so stunned by the suddenly intrusion of his space that he couldn't even find the time to become overcome with rage._

"_How do you expect anyone to respect you with that attitude?" she hissed. "Learn to restrain yourself; learn to forgive other's mistakes."_

_Her breath grazed his lips. The growing anger within was the only thing that kept him from being hopelessly speechless. "Why should I do that?"_

"_Then you will make a good god."_

Zuko laughed, but not as strongly as he wished it to be. "So? And that means I'm in love with her?"

"Yes," came the simple answer.

"Tell me why, Advisor Iroh," Zuko turned to face the doorway, opposite of the elderly man beside him. "Tell me why I'm in love with her. It should be amusing to hear."

The old man said in a tired, weary voice, "I cannot answer that. You are the only one who knows why." And with a soft chuckle, Iroh added, "I am not you, Lord Zuko."

_Old geezer_. Only Iroh could mock the Fire God like that. Zuko simply ignored the remark. Instead he concentrated on the lush green grass surrounding his red palace, the delicate blossoms on the verge of blooming among the tree, the glistening small ponds that were sprinkled across the courtyard. Zuko felt his hands flicker into a smoldering heat. The strong urge to burn everything in sight was tempting. Everything should have felt the way he felt—furious, hopeless, maybe even a little confused.

He almost jumped with Iroh put a hand on his shoulder once again. But he didn't dare to turn to face the advisor. The feelings raging through him were too raw. One move and everything would be revealed. The Fire God couldn't have that. He had to remain firm. How could a god be so moved by a human? It was ludicrous to think so. She was nothing but a sacrifice to him—something that the humans stupidly thought would bring an end to the wildfires and sudden eruptions from the volcanoes in the Fire Nation.

"I will have the Mortal Gate ready for you," said Iroh softly. "Please take the time to visit Lady Xiaozhi. Check up on her to make sure that she is alright. After all, what kind of husband would you be if you didn't look for your wife once in a while?"

He then walked away—walked on his merry way to his usual spot, the kitchen. Iroh held his hands behind his back and whistled a tune about peking duck. Zuko watched his Advisor turn a corner and finally, the Lord exhaled deeply, surprised that he had held his breathe for so long. He then looked up to the azure sky. His domain was very beautiful and bright, probably the brightest in all the realm of gods. It was because Zuko was ruler of the Sun, giving the firebenders energy for their bending, and therefore dubbed the Fire God. The Sun was his palace and transformed into the perfect paradise that would make any god and mortal oozing with envy. But it was incomplete.

A certain ebony-haired woman was missing from the puzzle.

Zuko scowled. Why did she remain a constant figure embedded in his mind? The young woman was a human, a mere bug and therefore nothing of the importance to the great Fire God. Zuko frowned. Why was he always thinking about her?

Xiaozhi was actually a nuisance to him. For a mere human, she was annoying, stubborn, and naïve. She had the audacity to defy him. She dared to yell at him and scold him like a little child. The girl never obeyed his orders. Instead she made her own and that irritated Zuko to the death. If it was anyone else, they would have been burned to ashes at the very spot they stood and he wouldn't give it a second thought.

And yet, Zuko could never bring himself to harm Xiaozhi.

Aside from the fact that she was his bride, her stubbornness was what had allured him. Her carefree soul seemed foreign to him and he foolishly became captivated. Despite the cold reality that her own people had sacrificed her, Xiaozhi's opaque eyes were never forlorn around him. She didn't show fear in her eyes when they saw each other for the first time. And Zuko could remember thinking what a brave girl she was.

He knew many things in the human world. The gossip about him in the Fire Nation was almost unavoidable. They called him a hideous monster who had no ounce in his demon soul. One look in the Fire God's eyes would send any mortal burning to agonizing ashes. And this was due to his birth from the Twelve Flames of Hell. He resembled the face of death and was a cruel, cruel god.

Zuko supposed that the rumors were true to a certain extent. He was born with an ugly scar sprawled acrss his left eye. It resembled a burn, signifying that he was to be the next god of fire after the death of his predecessor, who had been an evil god in his fighting days during the Imperial War. Zuko was naturally expected to be the same.

And regardless of the horrible rumors, Xiaozhi touched his scar. That was the first time Zuko felt the flesh of a human. It was particularly warm to him despite that he was the god of fire. Zuko thoughtlessly reached up to touch the spot that her finger had brushed against, the burnt skin under his eye. He had been so caught off-guard at the time he practically stumbled into a puddle on the way back to the throne room.

Zuko's forehead collapsed in his hand. A quiet smile curved from his frown. "The old man is right," he mumbled to himself. He raised his head and snapped his fingers. In that instant a nearby servant appeared like the flicker of a flame. "Yes, Zhu Rong?"

"Tell Iroh to take care of things here while I'm away," Zuko waved the servant off as quickly as he had summoned him. "I'm going to the Mortal Gate."

Without question, the servant bowed low and walked off without hesitation. At the same time, Zuko walked over to a different room at the end of the open corridor. He then walked over to a drawer at the edge of the room and took out the faded red fabric of the simple Fire Nation clothes that he sometimes used to disguise himself when he was bored. Zuko sighed and stalked over to the twin swords that were laid idly on their wooden thrones. With a ginger hand, he lifted one twin up to the glinting sunlight perched outside the door. The silver steel seemed to burn in his hand.

It was time to pay a visit to his unexpected bride.

* * *

><p>AN:

Hello! Mo here!

This is basically the starting process of my rewrite on this story. I don't know why I made everything so complicated...so I'll make it simple. I wrote this almost six years ago...wow it's amazing to see how much time has passed. However, I do like my style of writing here. It brings back a time when things were a lot...simpler to write about. I only hope that I can continue with this writing style.

Zuko (Fire Lord) = Zhu Rong

Mo


	2. Maybe It's Okay For One Tear to Fall

**Maybe It's Okay For One Tear to Fall**

Xiaozhi remembered how much she loved going to the market as she breathed in the delicious smells coming from the food stalls, the competiveness from the voices of sellers, and the lively scene of bustling people. Giddy from the sight, Xiaozhi walked along her usual route and hummed a pleasant tune.

"Ah," an elderly shop owner smiled kindly at her as she walked to the counter. "A sight for my poor eyes—my favorite customer, little Xiaozhi."

"Good morning, Uncle Fa," she bowed in formality.

"And a good morning it is," he gestured to the clear blue sky. When the young girl nodded his smile faltered and asked, "Have you gone traveling? I haven't seen you for some time."

At the question, Xiaozhi froze. Another questioning look at the elderly owner made her stiffly nod at him. "Yes, I have been…gone for some while."

"Good, good," he opened the fan in his hand and began to wave off the heat of the smoke coming from the food vendors. "Travel while you're young. There are many places to go with those strong legs of yours."

Quietly, the young girl nodded. Her hand reached up to readjust the loose bun on her head. She couldn't tell Uncle Fa what had happened in her village. Xiaozhi didn't want to trouble the old man by letting him know about her village's sacrifice to Zhu Huoyan, great Fire God of the Sun.

She jumped when Uncle Fa snapped the fan closed and slammed it down on the remaining space on the wooden stall. "Enough talk. Let's get down to business."

"Yes," Xiaozhi agreed, smiling as she did so and restrained from giggling. Uncle Fa was quite the comedic man when one understood him as well as she did. "Two garatteok (rice cake bars) and three pounds of beef, a bag of white radish, ten cloves of garlic, a pound of salt, a small jar of hot pepper sauce, and six eggs please."

"Right away, little one," at a steady and patient pace, the elderly shop owner began to gather the items. He carefully placed the heavy items in two leather sack and the more delicate and smaller ones in a basket that Xiaozhi had given him. Once he was finally done completing the order, Uncle Fa heaved the sacks onto the wooden table with a heavy grunt. Xiaozhi felt a sad sympathy for the old man as she handed him the money in exchange for the food. Uncle Fa's only son had died from a battle awhile ago and left the shop and its heavy labor for his aging father.

But without a doubt, the shop owner smiled. "You sure are buying a lot. Will there be a feast in your home?"

"No," Xiaozhi laughed at the joke. "I thought that I would make spicy rice cake soup for Baba. At first I thought of making papaya salad but spicy rice cake soup is his favorite."

"But why so much?"

"Because," she mumbled regrettably. "The twins."

That was all she needed to say for the old man's eyes to light up in humor. He poked his head out of the stall and looked around. "Speaking of the twins, where are those rascals?"

"Yo! Uncle Fa!" came the simultaneous answer on cue. At the same instant, Xiaozhi felt an arm sling around her shoulder and another rested at the top of her head. Surprised, Xiaozhi looked up above her. At the sight of two tall young men smiling obnoxiously, Xiaozhi felt a twinge of irritation whip at her and she twitched her eyebrows.

"Lei ge ge! Liang ge ge!" she scolded. "Greet Uncle Fa properly!"

"Aw," Lei, the younger twin who had his arm resting at the top of her head, ruffled her hair lightly, making the bun move heavily around her head. "Lighten up mei mei. Uncle Fa doesn't mind."

"Yeah, he doesn't. Right, Uncle Fa?" said the older twin, Liang.

Uncle Fa let out a hearty laugh. "No, of course not. But it wouldn't hurt to practice in case you meet with the Fire Lord."

Liang gave out a scoff. "Yeah, like that's ever gunna happen."

"Is that right?" Uncle Fa gave out another chuckle. "In the meanwhile, help your sister carry these bags…uh…" he looked back and forth between the two twins. Above Xiaozhi, the twins chuckled in amusement.

"Don'cha remember Uncle Fa?" Lei teased. "It's not hard to tell us apart."

"My mind is old and forgetful." The old man admitted shamelessly.

"Piss-hair is Lei," Liang pointed at Lei's bleached blonde hair. "I'm Liang: handsome with the one green eye."

"Piss-hair?!" Lei took his arm off Xiaozhi's head and glared at his brother with all his body. "Yer the freak with the one swampy eye!"

"It's not swampy!" Liang retorted. "And at least it's better than yer piss-hair!"

Xiaozhi watched in undying embarrassment at her bickering older brothers. The two moved away from the stall and onto the open walkway. Passerby's stared at the two identical twins in shock as they argued in the middle of the dirt road. Beside her, the elderly shop keeper chuckled and opened his fan again to wave it against his face.

"Lively boys aren't they?" he smiled at her.

_Lively? More like annoying_. Xiaozhi sighed in exasperation. The twin Lei and Liang were what many people would call "devious". Xiaozhi's father, the village leader had rescued the two from a burning village south of the Fire Nation when they were seven. Since then, Lei and Liang were her brothers. They were known in almost every village in the Fire Nation not only for their fighting skills and memorable looks, but also for their mischievous ways.

Lei had colored his hair white blonde when he was twelve. Although their father had punished him to one thousand squats, Lei's pride was his hair. It was often in a shaggy style layering down to just below the nape of the neck and his bangs shadowed his eyebrows. When Xiaozhi had asked why he had colored his hair, Lei had replied that it was so his hair could shine like his dual broad swords. She could only count the many eye rolls she had conjured whenever her brother showed off his skills and the other girls would swoon.

Liang was the equivalent of Lei, and that only meant double trouble. His hair was the twins' original color, although it was a bit longer than Lei's—the end points ended at the bottom of his neck and brushed against his shoulders. Liang was born with not only the twins' signature light grey eyes but also an electrifying green eye that gave shivers to many people in their village. But nevertheless he was still cunning and foolish like his younger twin brother. Liang was known for handling the difficult Tian Po sword with graceful ease. The combination of his mysterious mismatching eyes and his ease with his sword proved that he was an equal match to Lei.

In all, Lei and Liang were the perfect combination of a big pain in the neck.

Xiaozhi rolled her eyes and walked up to the bickering young men. With firm hands, she grabbed their heads and knocked them together with a loud _click _of their hollow skulls.

"Ow!" cried the twins in unison and looked at her with offended eyes as they rubbed their foreheads.

"That hurt, mei mei!" whined Lei.

"Oh, grow up!" Xiaozhi put her hands on her hips and glared at Lei. "You two can't just go insulting each other in the middle of the street like little children! You're twenty-year-old men for crying out loud! Be a little more respectful!"

"But, mei mei…" drawled out Liang.

"Don't 'mei mei' me! You should know better!" Xiaozhi twitched her hands in irritation as her anger fumed, fueled by her embarrassment. "Sometimes I just wanna…oh!"

Unable to handle her exploding emotions, Xiaozhi stormed off. Lei and Liang watch their younger sister loose herself into the sea of hustling bodies. Shamefully, like the children they were the twins sulked back to Uncle Fa's shop. The old man, who had been uncontrollably laughing during the lecture, finally collected himself and fanned his tearing face furiously.

"Did we just make Xiaozhi mei mei mad again?" Lei propped his shoulder on the wooden edge, still rubbing at the sore spot at his forehead.

"I think so," Liang replied. "I mean she doesn't go like that for no reason."

"You have quite the sister," said Uncle Fa.

"If ya mean by stubborn and just plain temperamental," said Liang, "then yeah."

"No," Uncle Fa swatted at Liang with his fan, earning another moan of pain from the older twin. "Someone has to keep you two jokers in line."

"I guess," Liang mumbled.

"C'mon Liang. Let's go catch up with mei mei," Lei grabbed one of the sacks sitting on the wooden stall, almost forgotten. "I wanna eat dinner tonight."

Liang looked at his brother and grinned. They would never admit it, but they absolutely hated it when their sister was furious with them. He grabbed the other sack and the basket that the shop keeper handed out to him. The two then bowed to Uncle Fa, who simply just waved them away. The elderly shop keeper watched the twins run off and smiled cheerfully, on his way to help another waiting customer.

_Such a blissful family_, he thought.

Xiaozhi felt her calves clench for extra strength as she furiously walked past the crowds of shoppers and merchants. She didn't care if she was tired. _Stupid older brothers_.

However, her footsteps quickly slowed to a steady pace and her anger depleted just as quickly. Xiaozhi could never stay mad at her brothers. She loved them too much for that. In the end, she would go home with them and with a quick apology from the twins they would continue on as if nothing ever happened. It would be a lesson never learned and she would just have to be satisfied with that. They were family after all. And Liang and Lei had been treating her especially ever since she mysteriously returned to her village.

Xiaozhi's footsteps suddenly became slow, like a turtle's. It had been a week since she returned to the village. Her father claimed it a blessing. The others called it a miracle. But Xiaozhi called it a mystery.

"Look," whispered a girl from a familiar group of teenagers as Xiaozhi passed them. Her footsteps hastened but they weren't quick enough.

"It's Zhu Huoyan's bride."

It caused a stir from the group and they whispered among each other as if the girl couldn't hear them. But she did. Xiaozhi rushed past the group as fast as she could, while trying to let them thinking that she hadn't heard them. But their unwanted words were already reaching her ears.

"I heard it was all fake. She lived in the mountains with a distant relative for a few months and came back when everything calmed down."

"Really? I heard that the Fire God didn't think that she was beautiful enough and sent her back."

"That's so shameful. I can't believe she tricked the whole village into thinking she was actually went to the Sun to be the Fire God's bride. Either she must be pretty convincing, or the whole village is just stupid."

The last remark earned haughty laughs and giggles from the group. Xiaozhi felt the threat of tears tickle her eyes and she almost ran. But it only gave them the chance to laugh at her even more.

Her father had taught her to ignore the words of others. She took that advice when the other children laughed at her for having no mother. It didn't matter what other's said, it only mattered when you thought about it. So she would ignore the mocking words of others. But this time, there was something that made Xiaozhi want to turn around and tell the them different.

But even if she did, what would there be to tell them? That she actually went to the Sun? She couldn't even remember the time after the village shaman told her to close her eyes when they laid her on top of the mountain. Everything was black after that. Just the memories of her mother—the images of nothing. Xiaozhi's heart became a big void at the thoughts that she desperately hid.

Maybe it was okay to let one tear to fall. But as soon as the tear glided down her cheek, another followed. Quickly, the young girl hung head to hide the steady tears behind her hair. Xiaozhi hurried to escape from the seeming stares from others. But her attempts were thwarted as she bumped into someone roughly.

Immediately Xiaozhi bowed, "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you."

"It's fine," a husky voice said.

She looked up to the voice and widened her eyes as she looked upon a lean man. He was a handsome man. His hair was a shining jet black hair that shadowed his pale face. His features were sharp. If Xiaozhi didn't see the simple clothes, she would say that she bumped into a member of the royal family. The only thing that distracted her from staring like a stupid idiot was a large scar on his left eye. Her first instinct was to call it scary but after some thought it didn't seem as intimidating. More like captivating, for lack of a better word in her awe. And the strangest thing was that it seemed familiar to Xiaozhi, like she had seen it somewhere before.

"You seem lost," stated the man.

Suddenly remembering her position, Xiaozhi bowed again. "I'm sorry."

The man smirked in amusement. "You're apologizing for being lost?"

She straightened and blushed, "N-no! That's not what I meant. What I meant was…"

"Again it's fine." He brushed off an invisible cloud of dust to prove his point. Xiaozhi felt her cheeks redden even more profoundly so.

"Are you lost?" he asked.

"Wha—oh! No! No! I was just wandering around." She chuckled nervously.

"Really," he mused, "I don't think it's safe for a lady to be wandering around alone in such a big place like this."

Xiaozhi felt herself become bashful. She was only seventeen and he already called her a lady.

"I'll walk you to wherever you're going," he offered.

At the offer, Xiaozhi shook her head furiously. "Oh, no! You don't have to!"

"Why not? I got the time."

Suddenly, in some blink of an eye, the young girl found herself accepting the offer and walked further into an aimless destination. They walked in silence for some painful minutes and Xiaozhi silently cursed herself for the awkwardness. Risking a peek at the stranger, Xiaozhi became overwhelmed at curiosity.

"Excuse me, you don't look like you're from around here," quickly she hung her head and scolded herself. How rude of her, to say such a thing to a stranger.

"I'm not,"

Surprised by his simple reply, she decided to press further. "Are you here for something? We don't get many travelers in these streets."

"Well, since you seem to know so much about this place," he looked at her. Xiaozhi looked up. He had to be at least as tall as the twins—a head taller than her. Another look at the sheathed sword on his back told her that he was a swordsman and from the position that it was set on his back—as skilled one. "I'm looking for a village that's near the shore, east from here."

"That's my village," she said.

"Is it?"

"Yes," she nodded, "What are you looking for there?"

He looked ahead; his golden eyes gave out a spacious, cloudy gaze. "I'm looking for my wife."

A strange disappointment claimed Xiaozhi, "Oh."

He nodded.

"Did your wife leave you?" she recovered quickly and began her inquiries again.

The man mused at the thought, "You could say that."

"Why are you looking for her if she left you?" Xiaozhi said, with a hint of anger. What wife would leave a perfectly good husband behind? The man was handsome, skillful, and faithful—incredibly faithful, if he went this far to look for her.

"She left to protect me," he replied, "I'm looking for her to see her one more time."

Guilt washed over Xiaozhi in a poisonous cloud. "I see." She sighed, "Wow, what a romance."

The man chuckled, "Yeah."

"Maybe I can help you," she offered, in hopes to return the random kindness. "What's her name?"

"I can't tell you her name," he said, "But she's the most stubborn woman that you've ever met, she never listens to anyone's orders but her own, and she scolds like a mother would."

"I don't know anyone like that," said Xiaozhi after a long, hard thought.

Suddenly the man laughed heartily. Xiaozhi stopped to stare at the stranger. For a handsome man, he sure was odd. When he had calmed himself, he looked ahead once more and nodded in the direction, "You're friend's calling you."

Xiaozhi looked in said direction and saw a familiar blue parka come into view. Katara waved furiously at her. She waved back. She began turned back to the stranger "Thank you for bringing me all this way. What's you're—"

The man was gone.

Xiaozhi stared with a puzzled look on her face, where the man had stood just a second before. Without another thought, she shrugged. He probably had something better to do. Xiaozhi ran towards the waterbender. They hugged each other furiously.

"Xiaozhi! How've you been?"

"I've been alright," Xiaozhi laughed merrily at the sight of her long-missed friend. "What are you doing here? You rarely ever come to the Fire Nation."

"My dad let me tag along." Katara said, "I just saw your brothers. They're looking for you."

Xiaozhi refrained from another eye roll at Katara's blushing face. She grumbled to herself. They must've charmed Katara into finding her. Speaking of which, Xiaozhi saw the two twins walk up to them, laughing obnoxiously with Katara's own elder brother Sokka.

"And then I said…" Sokka held back a giggle, when the three stopped in front of the two girls. "Hey Xiaozhi."

"Hi Sokka," she smiled. But her frown returned when she looked at the shamed faces of her brothers.

"Mei mei," Liang sighed, "We're sorry. We didn't mean to embarrass ya back there."

Lei nodded vigorously. "Really, really sorry. So don't be mad, 'kay?"

"You're just saying that because you're scared I won't make spicy rice cake soup for you," she huffed turning away from the twins and then added with a smug smile, "But I guess I have to anyway because you carried the food all the way here."

The twins smiled at her forgiveness and surrounded Xiaozhi to give her their usual rounds of apologetic kisses to her head, giving Katara and Sokka red ears. Xiaozhi ignored the charm.

"Is Chief Hakoda staying over for dinner?" she asked.

"Maybe," Sokka answered, "He's still making trades with the merchants."

"We'll tell Rong da ye," said Lei just as Xiaozhi was about to open her mouth to say something. He grabbed her wrist and pulled away from her away from the water tribe teenagers. "C'mon mei mei, I'm hungry. Go make food. It's been a long time since we ate yer cooking."

Liang followed suite, leaving the two younger teens looking at each other with puzzled looks. Xiaozhi looked back at the two apologetically. Katara merely waved at her. Xiaozhi smiled, relieved that the younger girl wasn't upset at the sudden abandonment. She turned. Suddenly a flash of red caught her eye. Xiaozhi looked over her shoulder to see the same man standing at the edge of a crowd, boring holes into her eyes. Meekly she waved and he nodded. The acknowledgement made her smile.

"Who're ya waving at?" said Liang behind her as he turned to look at the spot she looked at just a moment before.

Xiaozhi looked again at the spot and saw that the man disappeared. She smiled to herself.

"No one, Liang ge ge."

* * *

><p>AN: I don't remember why I added the twins to the story...but it seemed cool at the time.

_ge-ge: _older brother

_mei-mei__: _little sister

_ba-ba_: father

_da-ye_: uncle


	3. The Repeated Sacrifice

**The Repeated Sacrifice**

_Come quickly! I have seen something!_

_What is it, Mudang? What do you see?_

_Our fire is dwindling. It is because our sacrifice was returned to us. It was not a true sacrifice._

_Are you telling us that it was not a miracle sent from the gods?_

_Yes. It was not. The bride did not succeed._

_Then did you dream of a different chosen one to take her place?_

_It is the same bride. I saw her face in the flames. It means that she must return to the Sun._

_Should we send her to the mountains again?_

_No. No, she cannot go there anymore. Success is little in the mountains. Our fire may weaken even more if we send her to the mountains._

_Then what do we do?_

_We must burn her, to make sure that she never returns again._

* * *

><p>AN: A _mudang_ is a Korean shaman, usually a woman. Her male counter part is a _paksu _(Fun fact provided by Encyclopedia Britannica)


	4. Tea and Apples

**Tea and Apples**

The tea brewed the air with its bittersweet scent. Two men, sitting across from each other sat still and silent at the noise of bubbling water. As a violent stream of steam continuously emerged out the edges of a black teapot, one of the men, a man dressed in deep scarlet reached forward and waved his hand. At once, the fire that had been nestled under the pot vanished. The man then poured the steaming tea into two small cups, handing one to the other man, who was dressed in blue clothes adorned with the symbol of the water tribe, and the other for himself. Then their conversation took place within the confines of the simple, silent room.

"I trust that you are well, Chief Hakkoda?" said the man in scarlet.

The southern water tribe chief nodded and accepted the hospitality in a leisurely sip. "Yes, the trades in the Earth Kingdom are going smoothly. Same thing with the Fire Nation. You firebenders sure like our oil."

"The oils from the water tribes are the most effective." The man in turn took a sip from his own tea.

"But what I don't understand," said Hakkoda, "Is why this particular village—_your_ village—needs so much of it when it has so many firebenders to provide fire. Rong, would you like to tell an old friend just what exactly is going on?"

"Hakkoda," Rong sighed and set down the cup on the floor to smooth out his goatee, "You know as village leader I can't discuss matters about my village to just anyone."

"As your supplier then," Hakkoda folded his arms and looked at Rong sternly. "Tell me."

Rong looked up at his friend in defeat and sighed again. "Lately, many of our firebenders have found that their power is fading away. We've even had some cases of benders who've completely lost their bending."

"Are you sure it's not just a disease?"

"No," the village leader shook his head in a shameful forlorn. "The mudang has found nothing ailing them. And even if it were a disease, none of the villagers are sick."

Hakkoda frowned and silence quickly followed the two men. Rong stared blankly ahead, while the water tribe chief thought deeply.

"Maybe it's the sun," suggested Hakkoda. "Do you think that a solar eclipse is on its way?"

Rong frowned and shook his head again. He reached forward to pour tea for himself and then the chief again. "We only loose our power when the Black Sun is completely formed. And besides, it will be another hundred years until there will be another eclipse.

"The mudang has already thoroughly investigated the stars and clouds. She thinks that it's a punishment from the gods." Rong's hand clenched the delicate cup tightly and his dark eyebrows furrowed together as a grimace twisted across his face.

At the reaction Hakkoda closed his eyes and sipped his tea, "The Southern Water Tribe already knows about your daughter's sacrifice and also of her return."

A shatter pierced the air. Hakkoda opened an eye to see the remaining pieces of a tea cup shattering onto the floor. Its contents stained the floor with its dark color and across the fireplace, ruining any chances of a fire returning. Hakkoda could only helplessly smirk at his friend's silent fury.

He continued, "If Southern Water Tribe already knows then there's no doubt that the other regions in the Fire Nation already know. Small world isn't it?"

"Yes," murmured Rong quietly. He gathered the broken pieces in his palm and a bright fire erupted from his fingers, burning the pieces. The smell of burnt clay overpowered the bittersweet scent and Hakkoda heard faint pops erupt from Rong's fiery hand. "A small world it is."

"Rong," Hakkoda met his friend's dark eyes and a chill came over him. The water tribe chief knew very well what the village leader was like when he became angry like this. "I've known you for a long time now. I know how much you care for your children. But these sacrifices are meaningless; they can't continue."

"You don't think I know that?" said Rong. The fire in his hand became brighter and its flames expanded in size. Hakkoda could almost feel the angry heat brush his face. "You really think that I would've willingly let my daughter be a sacrifice? She sacrificed _herself_. I'm only lucky to have her returned to me alive."

"Why did you let her be sacrificed in the first place? You're the village leader, aren't you? You should have the authority to stop it."

"Hakkoda." The flames in Rong's hand died out and both men watched as he let the remaining ashes fall to the floor in a blackened pile. "The people in my village respect me and look up to me therefore I am the village leader. But when it comes to the mudang…they are more trusting towards her, especially around this time. She is a being who is in contacts with the gods. I can't disobey her if she is in best interest with the villagers."

Once again, Hakkoda crossed his arms again. "I can't meddle with your affairs but I'm warning you: One day, these sacrifices will get the best of you and you might regret them for life."

"I know," the village leader sighed wearily. Ages seemed to come out of his sigh and Rong hunched over like an old man, his head bowed down in defeat.

* * *

><p>"Xiaozhi, you're so strong, living with your brothers and all. Go pick out the apples near the cliffs for us." Xiaozhi mocked in a voice more high pitched than her own as she roughly shoved away a bush sitting in her path. "Ha! I'll show you strong!"<p>

As the bush stubbornly refused to move, Xiaozhi grumbled to herself. The village girls were always like this, even when she was missing for those long months. They'd always make her do odd jobs and chores that they were supposed to do themselves. Xiaozhi could only reluctantly obey, as she always did ever since she stupidly accepted the requests at the young age of seven. It was only when Xiaozhi discovered that during her time doing the menial tasks, the other girls were often lazing their days away by flirting with her brothers and the other village boys or doing other things like _brushing their hair and gossiping._ _Lazy, good-for-nothing…_

_But,_

Xiaozhi cried out in frustration as the persistent greenery still refused to open a path for her. The girl mumbled uselessly and suddenly in the midst of her grumble, an idea popped in her head. Giving the bush one last devious look, she slowly backed away from the shrub. When she was far enough, Xiaozhi lifted her skirt with one hand, the other gripping onto the basket tightly, and sped towards the bush. Then, at the last second she jumped over the thick brush to the other side of the path. The young girl felt the air around her reward her with a sense of triumph for a mere second.

_At least she could be of some worth._

But the triumph depleted as Xiaozhi landed right on her rear. She groaned and rubbed her backside, "Oww…"

"Need some help?"

Xiaozhi looked up. Surprise attacked her heart as a familiar face stuck out his hand for her to grab.

"No!" Xiaozhi leaped to her feet, "I'm fi—!"

She shrieked as she tripped over her dress and fell forward. Immediately Xiaozhi closed her eyes and braced herself for the fall. But instead of the rough dirt, she fell into unfamiliar warmth.

"Are you sure, you're fine?" said the stranger's voice.

She cracked open an eye, only to have her sight blinded with a golden piercing gaze. Their faces were only inches apart as he held her against him. For those countless minutes, Xiaozhi's body felt the heat coming from his clothes and into her cheeks and each breathe that he took grazed her skin. The stranger merely looked at her with a confused stare. She realized their proximity. _He was so close. _

With a hesitant shove, Xiaozhi pushed him away and reached down to pick up the basket that had dropped to ground during her fall. She dusted off her skirt and straightened herself to smile at him.

"I'm okay," her smile widened. "You're back!"

The man smirked in return. "Yes, I am," Then he frowned in confusion, "What are you doing out here?"

"Me? Oh, I'm out picking apples," Xiaozhi lifted the basket to confirm her alibi.

"And I see you've picked a…creative way to pass a bush. You could've walked around it, you know." He pointed behind her and Xiaozhi turned to see that the infernal shrub she had so helplessly tried to defeat had an end that was not too far away from the path. She blushed and looked down sheepishly.

"I-I took a shortcut?"

"I can see that," the stranger shrugged in dismissal and began to walk away.

"Wait!"

The stranger turned and saw the young girl run to him. She held the basket on her head as she approached him.

"I never got to know your name," Xiaozhi said. "What is it?"

He hesitated for a second, opening his mouth and closing it again in an uneasiness that made the atmosphere awkward.

"I'm not going to hurt you by knowing your name," she reassured.

Again he opened his mouth, but this time it came out with a voice.

"Zuko,"

"My name is Xiaozhi," she smiled.

"I know," he turned to walk again, this time with a black-haired girl following beside him.

"You do?"

"You're quite the talk around town these days."

Her footsteps stopped. Xiaozhi looked down and a gloomy expression took over her previous smile. Zuko turned around when he realized that the girl wasn't following him.

"I see," she said. "What else do you know about me?"

"You're the village leader's seventeen year old daughter," Zuko stated. Immediately he found himself on the ground. His head echoed with a dull ring as his body was shadowed by Xiaozhi's woven basket.

"What'd you do that for!" he exclaimed, glaring at the girl with all the might he had.

"It's rude to ask around for a woman's age," she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him up.

"You're not even a woman yet," he mumbled.

"Not a woman?!" she gasped in false surprise, yet a mischievous smile crept upon her face. "How rude!"

"It's also rude to hit someone!" Zuko retorted.

"You can help me pick apples as a way to make up for your lack of manners," she grinned.

Before the man could say another word, he found himself dragged along the path. Xiaozhi gave out a merry laugh as she led him to the cliffs where the apple trees stood. She stopped in front of a large tree, adorned with the red shining fruit and suddenly her smile died. Replaced by a worried frown, she looked up at the tree's branches and wondered how she would get up there. Usually, it took two people to get up the high trees. But Xiaozhi was alone this time—she could only make the best of what she had. With a determined grunt, Xiaozhi lifted up the sleeves of her shirt, tied her dress tightly against her thighs, and began to climb up the tree's trunk.

"What are you doing?" Zuko cried out, recovered from the rush.

"Picking apples," Xiaozhi grunted and her hands reached for the closest branch. _Almost there. _Suddenly something grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her down to the floor. Her rear once more became bruised from the ground.

"Hey!" she looked up only to helplessly blush at Zuko's face so close to hers, their noses almost touching.

"Wait here," he said in a soft voice. Obediently, Xiaozhi nodded and with a dazed blink the man jumped onto the same branch that she had tried to reach. He pulled himself up and landed on his feet with great grace. Balanced and poised, Zuko pulled out the sword from its sheath. It spilt in two at his hands and he sliced at the nearest apple. The sword was followed by its twin, which carefully balanced the apple on its flats smooth surface. With a flick of his wrist, the fruit then rolled off his sword, down his shoulders and landed straight into the basket that was laid on the ground. Following the apple, Zuko landed next to Xiaozhi at the balls of his feet. The young girl gaped at him, her mouth open in awe. Zuko smirked as he straightened himself. The energetic clap beside made his chest swell with pleasure

"That was wonderful!" she squealed. Xiaozhi lifted the basket and stared at the apple in giddy disbelief.

"Thank y—"

"Can you please do it again? Until it basket fills up?" She pushed the basket towards him. The smirked fell away and Zuko replace it with a groaned. And with another grumble he swiped the basket from her hands and set it on the ground again before jumping into the trees, letting leaves fall to the grass at the disturbance. Xiaozhi laughed as apples fell down from the trees like rain after a long drought. She'd have to remind herself to thank the village girls for sending her here. This was the best apple picking day Xiaozhi had ever had in her life.

* * *

><p>In his six thousand, five hundred and twelve days of living, Zuko would have never thought he'd be put under <em>labor<em>. And by a human of all things.

_There was probably a glitch somewhere in his pride._

Zuko landed on the ground with a soft _thud_. After two hours of balancing on untrustworthy logs, it felt good to be on the earth again—nice and solid. He looked behind him and was relieved that the basket was filled with the red fruit and left no more room for any extras. No more wobbly branches that would swing him back and forth, making his leg shake and his heart jump every time he nearly slipped and fell.

But the important thing was: he was on the ground again, safe and sound. Zuko took another look at the basket again, making sure that it was filled and not just an illusion. He then looked around, searching for the audacious human that had forced him to do her bidding. He found her leaning against a tree with its shadow facing the cliffs. Her head leaned to her shoulder and her body moved steadily like she was meditating.

Zuko peered around the tree and saw that Xiaozhi's eyes were closed, though not in meditation. The girl was actually sleeping.

"Hey," he crouched down and gingerly shook her shoulder. "Wake up."

Xiaozhi merely swatted away the hand and shifted her body. As she fell back to her deep slumber, she fell onto him, forcing Zuko to sit down beside the young girl. Her head rested on his shoulder. Zuko felt her ruffled hair brush lightly against his cheek and his skin suddenly tingled.

Zuko felt his body unintentionally freeze at the touch of her body. Unable to move his head, he looked down at Xiaozhi at the corner of his eye. Once reassured that she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, he relaxed and fully set his gaze upon her.

Humans were all the same to him. They were haughty, with no sense of humiliation, and a lack of common sense. There were a few exceptional humans, often called geniuses and prodigies, and regretfully, royalty in their territories, but they were no more than the pitiful beings that the gods created. Zuko never thought about how they looked like in the past. He always liked to imagine them as faceless puppets. It was easier to think that way. It kept the sympathy at a minimum.

He never knew that they were capable of being beautiful. In fact, now that he thought about it, Xiaozhi reminded him of the little dolls that the young girls in the Heavenly Palace would play in the gardens when he was younger. Those little dolls seemed so fragile back then—all glamorous in their porcelain glory.

But dolls were breakable, as well as humans. They would just be little pieces in his grasp and they would burn away into nothing but little particles that no one would ever see.

_He could break her without even knowing it._

But then again, it was pretty difficult to break her. Zuko had tried countless times, just to get rid of Xiaozhi. A stubborn doll had been in his possession, and now it was in his grasp. All he had to do was reach for it.

Zuko continuously hesitated as he inched closer to her face. He felt a dry lump of oxygen creep down his and he swallowed his parched tongue. Just another observation right? Zuko only wanted to get a better look at her-just to see how closely humans resembled gods in their image. He wanted to see what was it about this girl that made him absolutely crazy—crazy enough to walk down to the mortal world and do manual labor like dog. All he wanted was to find out how she did it. How did she manage to control him as easy as a puppet at the mercy of his puppeteer? What strings did she pull?

It was nothing more than that.

As he felt the tips of their noses touching, Zuko set his gaze at her lips. They were a little dry and cracked up still pink enough to look soft if he didn't look at them as closely as he did now. Her lips were (Zuko cursed himself silently for thinking the ridiculous thought) quite attractive for a human's. Kissable, even.

In the brighter, carefree days of his long lasting youth, Zuko often fooled around with the maids in the palace. Their kisses had been playful and careless. Their lips, soft and moist, had been drowned in the bitter tastes of alcohol. Were humans the same?

It didn't hurt to try.

Zuko finally closed the quiet remaining space between them and gently laid his lips on hers. He closed his eyes and held his head still for the moment, feeling the rush of anxiousness pass through him like adrenaline. Her lips were soft and cool, yet slightly rough from the dry air. He hadn't expected the docile sweetness that came from them. It was like kissing an apple.

Taking a risk, Zuko cracked his eyes open. Xiaozhi's, however, were still closed. Her breathing hadn't changed from a steady sleeping breathe. Zuko pulled away and he felt his eyebrows raised high above his head. She was a really naïve girl—sleeping through all that while he was on the verge of exploding into lava.

On the contrary, he was a sick bastard.

He bit his bottom lip and sat straight again, Xiaozhi slightly shifting her head to make herself comfortable on his shoulder. Zuko began to lick his lips but paused at the motion. That taste was there again—the tart apple. Zuko had absolutely no clue if it was his lack of contact with humans or his lack of relationships in general but there was something that made him want to kiss her again. It disturbed him to the very core. He had wished that her lips had moved.

Zuko found himself wanting—desiring—her response. What would it be like if they really kissed?

Without realizing it, he neared Xiaozhi's face again. Every contact of his essence and hers was carefully handled. Zuko stilled his breathe, to not breathe on her. His hand brushed away a strand of hair fell on her face and he let himself lean into her. Another taste could never hurt anyone.

Just then, Xiaozhi stirred against his shoulder as their noses kissed again. Her closed eyes fluttered and she moaned. Panic shot through Zuko like a fiery arrow, making his cheeks burn. He bolted to his feet, letting Xiaozhi fall the soft ground.

Calmly, she rose and sat against the tree to stretch her arms. With a sleepy eye, Xiaozhi looked at him and yawned. "You didn't leave?"

"N…no," he managed a shaky breath, "I just finished."

Xiaozhi mumbled, "Thank you," and then incoherent words followed. Zuko strained to catch them but soon gave up as she hid behind her thick hair to rub her sleep ridden eyes. He couldn't help but sneak a small smile as the image of her waking state reminded him of a child. But as soon as it came, Zuko shook off the thought.

When he looked down again he found her smiling up at him, as though she had seen his smile. Xiaozhi patted to the patch of grass next to her. "Sit. You must be tired."

He obeyed and sat on the same spot that she unknowingly gestured to. Satisfied Xiaozhi raised her arms, arched her back and groaned as she stretched once more. She sighed, "I really like it up here"

Zuko looked ahead. It was a rather quaint site. The cliffs faced out into a blue ocean that seemed to go for miles on end, reflecting a clear sky that held the blinding burning sun in all its mighty glory.

"It's so easy to fall asleep, just listening to the wind and being warmed up from the sun," Xiaozhi continued to ramble in a soft monotone. She reached out and light sprinkled onto her hand.

Zuko didn't say anything. It was enough for him to listen to her endless words. They filled up the silence that he couldn't fill himself. He only nodded.

"Did you find your wife yet?"

The sudden inquiry brought Zuko back to life in a wash of confusion. Keeping a still face, he looked at her from the corner of his eye. Then he remembered.

"Yes," he said. A story started to construct itself into his brain, forming a lie that would stray away from the truth as far as possible.

The young girl looked at him with her own uncertainty. "And aren't you going to bring her back with you?"

In the end, Zuko could never find the proper lie. There was no story other than the one that he was in now. Lies brought too many questions. His own lies spat out confusion and the betrayal of his own emotions. Lying to himself about his feelings, it never felt good. Instead Zuko only dug himself a deeper hole. He didn't want that anymore.

"I don't know what to tell her," he said, an exasperated sigh escaped from his chest. But the release of air only made his body heavier. "I can't just pull her out of her home. This is where she belongs, I guess."

"Well," Xiaozhi pulled her hand back to her lap and fiddled with her fingers. "If I was your wife, I would want to go back to my husband."

He stared at her. Xiaozhi's face blushed a deep red and she twisted her hair nervously between her fingers. "You really would?"

"Yeah," despite the answer, she shrugged. "Being bound by marriage, means you have to be together right? Besides, I think she misses you. I know I would."

He said nothing in return but instead looked out to horizon. The sun was about to set soon. It's hues of bright yellow started to fade into a deep orange that stained the sky. Her words made him feel strange…as if he had found an enlightenment that couldn't be explained. Humble Xiaozhi beside him took a leaf that had fallen on the ground and twirled it between her fingers. The look in her eyes was lost. Zuko decided.

_He'd bring her back and make everything right again._


	5. What It Takes To Devour You

**What It Takes to Devour You**

The echoing was happening again.

_It's okay…_

All Xiaozhi heard was words, reaching blindly around her from all sides. The pitch black surroundings that enveloped her had no end. If she turned, it would be the same wall, the same tunnel. Her hands were not in front of her, even if she did try to reach them. Her skin was nothing, her body was nothing, her mind was nothing. She did not exist in this place and yet, they were speaking to Xiaozhi and kept repeating an unexplainable story.

Xiaozhi frantically called out but her voice, no matter how hard she willed it, could not reach the darkness. The story echoed.

_Never see…only way…cause of me…on't hurt…pain…_

_Stop! Stop!_

But she did not exist, her words meant nothing. Xiaozhi could only be pulled into a vortex of confusion and hurt.

…_to know you…happy…with you…ven if I forget…ame feeling…_

Suddenly, brilliant lights exploded everywhere. They stung her and pierced at places where she couldn't see and she could feel her insides twist around each other. Xiaozhi felt herself cripple in pain. She called out for Liang ge-ge, Lei ge-ge, Baba, anyone. But none would hear her in this dark world of hers.

_It hurts! It hurts!_

With the burning agony twisting her around its devilish finger, for the first time, the voiceless echoes became clearer.

…_it will be fine…All I need…you to remember me…is good enough…_

_Good bye, Lord—_

And then the blue-masked monster appeared and ripped her heart out to eat it.

Xiaozhi thrashed forward and opened her eyes. Instead of the blue beast, she came face to face with the peaceful night air. The girl gripped the sweaty sheets around her with all her might and trembled in the darkness. Soon the shaking subsided with the help of the cool air coming from the open window beside her futon.

Xiaozhi's first instinct was jump from the floor and race to her father, who would always protect her from the demons when ever they jumped into her head and made her dreams become terrors in her unconsciousness. But as she cautiously looked around her room, Xiaozhi reluctantly decided otherwise. She was seventeen now, not a crybaby five year old. It was embarrassing to go to her father at this age. The other village kids would never let it go if Baba carelessly talked about it during one of his meetings.

Besides, there were no demons. No such demons would ever jump into her room. Nevertheless, Xiaozhi shuddered at the thought and wrapped the blanket around herself tightly. As the darkness around her began to suffocate her courage, Xiaozhi looked up to the moon. It provided the only light onto the sleeping world with it luminescence. Even though only a sliver of it revealed itself to human eyes the girl sought comfort in moon whenever things like this happened.

They often did occasionally, like it would for any other person. But ever since she returned unexpectedly to her village, the nightmares found her every other night—some worse than others. For some time now, Xiaozhi constantly feared of closing her eyes and opening them to a whole other frightening world.

Nonexistent, powerless, in constant helpless agony.

No human should ever feel such things.

But Xiaozhi had no choice. As her eyelids fell heavy, Xiaozhi begged the Dream Spirit to have mercy on her and ward off the nightmares for one night. A warm breeze tickled her, as if the spirit had promised to fulfill her wish. The young girl fell asleep, not knowing that she was really left alone, vulnerable to all things that lurked in the darkness surrounding her.

* * *

><p>But Zhu Rong was not a part of the night.<p>

He sat on the ledge of the window, the night air shadowing him in its dark cloak. Long, deep mahogany robes cascaded down his arms that dangled from his sides. The Fire God leaned back against the window's width, flinching at the cold touch of night on the wooden frames. He wasn't supposed to be here.

The night didn't want him here. The god felt the rejection of the nature around him. Nocturnal animals growled quietly at the threatening presence of the day that blinded them. The ancient laws would creak in horror at the Fire God's defiance against their rule over the force of nature. From the beginning, Zhu Huoyan was forbidden to travel in the night if the situation was not urgent. If the laws were broken, the balance would be disrupted. Day was not supposed to touch night.

And yet he was here.

Old and weak like buried bones, the ancient laws bended easily. The great god was able to walk to the realm of night only when the moon was at its last phase before being born new again. As long as Zhu Rong created a protective layer of his power around him during the last phase, he was safe from the darkness. But if anyone found out, a vicious punishment would be inflicted upon him.

All he wanted to do was watch her sleep. The red glow that emitted around him flickered like a candle. The great god, the one and only Zhu Rong who was the god of all fire—the most important god that the Fire Nation ever worshipped—turned into Zuko.

The liar.

Zuko gazed at the sleeping girl as she turned onto her side, facing the window. She had tightly wound the blanket around her, covering all but her head. Her hair flowed behind her like the ripples of night itself. It glowed beneath the lumen light. Zuko slid down from the window ledge and onto the floor beside her sleeping form. _It was like watching a lone lamb sleep. Innocent, vulnerable—so easy for predators to capture. _

Hesitantly, he raised his hand and a touch ghosted itself at her skin. _He could become one of them—the predators. _Zuko lifted away a strand of hair that had fallen onto her face, tucking it behind her ear. _He could become a wolf, capture her and mark her, making her his. _

_He was perfectly capable of doing such selfish things._

It was funny really. In the mortal world, everything was a fantasy. Dreams of a brighter future, the anticipation of miracles, the worldly desire to become one of the divine—hope itself—was nothing but silly thoughts that humans foolishly conjured. They prayed to the gods for these things—for the guidance to achieve their daydreams or to provide them with luck for their journeys. They thought that the gods were benevolent, worldly beings that donated would to their charity without question.

What was humorous about their worship to these non-existent compassionate beings was that their ideal expectations were quite the opposite in their true form. Few gods had kind souls and even fewer cared about humanity. Life was only a game to be played and they played it very cruelly. Zuko knew very well how much gambles were made in the Heavens, betting on the human lives that would fail to succeed. Zhu Huoyan himself made these wagers often. If the wager was a win, it would beneficial to his wealth and he could care less about the human than the next one that came along. But if it failed…it didn't matter. It just meant that he would have to choose better next time. The Fire God had several millenniums to do that. He didn't care. Humans were selfish, dreaming little things meant to be thrown away after being broken.

But as Zuko fought the conflicting emotions within himself, he felt a hint of sympathy for the humans. He now knew how selfish they felt, what it was like to dream into his nonexistent fantasies, and maybe—just _maybe_—felt a glimpse of this thing called hope. _Zuko was greedy. And the worse thing was that he was greedy for a trivial pet._

Zuko shook his head. _No, that wasn't the word._ He pondered for a moment. There was a word to for this trivial thing. It was a certain word, one that he had never spoken in all his year, thus felt it useless to remember.

The lullaby of a nightingale cracked through his train of thought. Night would end soon and he would have to return to the Sun to fulfill his duties, and after that he would no longer be welcomed until the waning crescent was upon the earth again.

Suddenly he remembered: the task that he was set out to do. Zuko leaned over to Xiaozhi's side and let himself settle his lips dangerously close to her ear. He took a deep breath and gathered strength inside him.

"_When you wake from your sleep, gather one thing that is precious to you,_" he said in an unearthly voice. It rang through the room like a powerful brass bell, low and deep, rumbling through out the heart and into the soul. "_An hour before the sun sets, walk to the cliff where the apple trees hang._ _Nothing shall stop you from this task_."

At the last syllable Zuko sighed heavily. Using the Divine Speech was a power that only the greater gods had. It was used to control the forces of nature and all living things that lived on the earth, but could also be used to set boundaries between other gods. The Divine Speech was an easy enough trick to do, but it still knocked the wind out of him. At the touch of his breath against her skin, Xiaozhi followed the sigh with her own. It was breathless, barely audible, as if she had heard him and would obey him in awe.

His thoughts muddled with a tired haze and he smiled. Without thinking, he laid his lips against the skin beside her ear and kissed it tenderly, trailing his fingers from the spot, down her jaw to her chin as he lifted himself away from her face. The girl sighed again at his touch. Zuko let his thumb run across her bottom lip. His mind wandered off to an apple taste.

"I'll wait for you," he whispered.

And so the wolf captured the lamb between his teeth.


	6. An Apologetic Author's Annotation

Hello, my name is Mo.

I once called myself vee-ka-chan, but, as I feel that persona has disappeared for quite sometime, I have bid my farewells to her.

I just wanted to let all you devoted, lovely readers know that this story is on HIATUS. I have lost my muse for this story. It's to read this nostalgic really, but I realized that I really need to do some thinking on the story direction, grammar, and execution of my OCs (no, not literal execution where people go x.x). So, I HAVEN'T GIVEN UP HOPE! My muse for this story is in me somewhere...taking a long ass vacation.

So I hope you haven't given up on me just yet. I promise I will come back to this with a better drive! I love Zuko and all the things that goes with him. And just like him in ATLA, I needed to do some soul searching (although, I would love myself a wise Uncle Iroh. That would help the process go much faster, don't you think?)

I'd like to thank all the readers, reviewers, followers, and favoriters out there who took the time to read my story in its amateur stages, and have continued to be patient with me. Please continue to do so.

I'm sorry for the wait, my audience. But I am so grateful to you!

ありごとうございます！Thank you!

Mo


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